View full sizeEverton Bailey Jr./The OregonianLake Oswego city councilors made revising Sensitive Lands a 2012 council goal during a goal-setting meeting like this one in 2011.

The Lake Oswego City Council took the first step Tuesday to revising its controversial Sensitive Lands program. The council voted 5-2 to approach Metro officials with a proposed overhaul of the natural resources protection overlay.

Mayor Jack Hoffman and Councilor Mike Kehoe plan to start conversations with Metro Council President Tom Hughes and Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette, who represents much of Clackamas County on the council, about alternatives to the Sensitive Lands code that might comply with Metro’s conservation and protection rules.

Councilor Mary Olson and city staff started brainstorming ways to free more private property from the overlay after a study session on July 31.

They created four options that would free up more private property to the council Tuesday for discussion. No one is sure that Metro would agree any of the options would satisfy its rules for resource protection, but city staff pointed out two options that would be most likely to appease everyone.

The option favored by the council is:

Remove the Sensitive Lands overlay from all private properties, but leave other city rules, such as the tree ordinance.

Beef up existing and create new incentives to entice residents to protect natural resources on their land voluntarily. Do the same with educational programs.

Set aside a fund or plan for the city to buy areas with resources to use as public space. Do the same to acquire conservation easements on private property with natural resources.

Add protections on public property with natural resources that are not currently protected under Sensitive Lands.

Figure out how to improve the city’s ability to manage public land with resources, and how to assess how well the new system is working.

The Sensitive Lands overlay has taken heat from residents and the political action committee Lake Oswego Stewards because they see its implementation as unfair and arbitrary. Lake Oswego Stewards members say the city shifts regulations onto residents to free up public land the city wants to develop.

They also point to the fact that only about 9 percent of residents -- 1,253 mostly single-family homes -- deal with the regulations to say they bear the burden unfairly.

“There’s no sense of shared responsibility in this city for natural resource protection,” said Olson, who is one of the fiercest advocates for changing the code. “This is not something that should be born by 10 percent of our property owners.

However, some councilors say the opponents to the code are in the minority.

“I already feel we have a balanced approach in our existing program,” said Councilor Sally Moncrieff. “I hear from a very different constituency than some of my fellow councilors.”

While Councilor Donna Jordan didn’t strongly object to the actual recommendations, she wanted cost estimates included with the options before going to Metro.

“You’re looking at a substantial chunk of money you’re putting aside for the purpose of those programs in your annual budget,” she said.

While the talks are preliminary, they could lead to big changes in how the city deals with natural resources on private land. Residents would have to value protecting and conserving natural resources for it to be successful under the proposed plans.

The council hopes Hoffman and Kehoe’s preliminary meetings lead to meeting jointly with the Metro Council in the future.

“It may change a lot from now to when it gets rejected or accepted, but I think this is a great effort,” Kehoe said.